During past Memorial Day weekends, Jennifer Strouble and her husband usually headed either to camping grounds or to the beach. On the first unofficial weekend of a summer that is sure to be unlike any other, the Stroubles are sticking to tradition.

The couple is planning to head from their Clarksburg home to Ocean City, Maryland — which recently reopened to visitors and quickly saw an influx of hotel reservations (Virginia Beach and Delaware’s public beaches are also reopening this weekend) — in a brand new RV purchased right before the pandemic. They are excited to use it throughout the summer as they seek an escape outdoors while maintaining social distance.

“We can take advantage of vacationing without having to worry about the cleanliness of others,” Strouble says.

Although they’ve been getting outside as much as they can, she’s excited for the reopening of outdoor space and parks after nearly two months of stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19. Their plans for this holiday weekend was always going to include one thing, though. “We would be going camping,” says Strouble.

A significant portion of outdoor recreation infrastructure and facilities in Virginia are reopening this weekend — including camping grounds that are currently accepting reservations — for the holiday weekend. And officials are expecting them to be crowded.

“We have 1,800 campsites across the [state park] system. And I have heard that there were only a handful of spots [still available] at our more popular parks such as Lake Anna and Pocahontas State Park,” says Dave Neudeck, communications director for Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation, the agency that manages all of the commonwealth’s parks. “Most of the campgrounds are nearly full like a typical Memorial Day weekend.”

Some of these parks also offer rustic camping cabins and yurts, which also have reopened for use with a reservation (though all 40 yurts are already booked for the weekend, according to Neudeck). He says that a number of new safety precautions are in place, including longer-than-normal gaps between groups’ uses and deep cleans. Restrooms will also be open with extra cleanings. And he notes that “campsites, by their nature, are socially distant. We have wider campsites … so campers can spread out.”

Officials are still asking that visitors use caution. “Those shared surfaces are only as clean as the last person that used them,” Neudeck says.

Besides camping, all 38 Virginia state parks are also open for day use, meaning hiking, fishing, and picnicking (for groups fewer than 10) are allowed.

Officials also expect that parks will be packed this weekend thanks to a combination of cabin fever, nice weather in the forecast, and a holiday weekend. They are reducing capacity at many parks to allow for social distancing. Depending on the size and popularity, park visitorship may be reduced by anywhere from 20 to 50 percent, according to Neudeck.

Due to this, there’s a chance that parks will have to turn away folks due to capacity. “We just encourage people to have an alternate plan, maybe a secondary place to enjoy,” says Neudeck. He also asks that folks reduce the amount of time they spend at the parks so that they can allow others to come in and enjoy, as well. In particular, Leesylvania State Park in Prince William County and Pocahontas State Park (outside of Richmond) are expected to be crowded.

Not included in this reopening, though, are campgrounds in Northern Virginia, including Leesylvania, which remain under stay-at-home orders (the area won’t begin to open until at least May 29.)

And only a few campgrounds will be open this weekend in Maryland. Most won’t reopen until May 29.

“We are opening campgrounds around the state via a phased-in process, involving the preparation of facilities for visitors, opening restrooms and bathhouses, and hiring seasonal staff to manage the safety and well-being of visitors,” Gregg Bortz, a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, tells DCist over email.

But state-owned parks are open for recreational activities this weekend, and officials expect them to be very busy. (Picnic shelters, youth group sites, and other overnight facilities remain closed.)

Bortz, though, reminds would-be visitors: “Enjoy your beautiful State Parks, however, parks are not for social gathering, but for recreation by individuals and immediate families.”